Newbie from Idaho

[allredp]

Hey All,
I appreciate having a community of fellow a/v addicts to learn from!
I'm a University professor (theology, M.A. from the University of Notre Dame & B.A. from Brigham Young University).
I began my obsession with audio in high school when I was asked to help move some DJ equipment for a friend at a dance he was doing. Once I realized what a blast (literally) audio equipment and the whole DJ scene offered, I was hooked. I also was able to DJ for a local radio station (AM Rock) in small-town Idaho.
I actually toyed with speaker building with a buddy of mine and built a lot of different "Radio Shack specials."
Now that the kids are older and I am able to spend some $$ on the house, I've had fun putting together the basement HT.
My latest addition is the SVS PB12-Plus/2. Wow...
I look forward to getting to know you guys and contributing to expanding all our HT experiences!
Best to you and thanks for welcoming me.
Phil

[Sonnie]

Hey Phil and welcome to the Shack!


Kids older... basement HT... no doubt...

I love my pair of Plus/2's ...

Looking forward to seeing you around...

[allredp]

Thanks Sonnie!

Nice to have another Plus/2 owner out there!!! I can't imagine what 2 of those bad boys would do in a room...

Phil

[drdoan]

Hi Phil, and welcome. I, too, have similar degrees (BA in Bible, MA in Pastoral Studies, and DMin in Christian Education) but, now am a chiropractor (DC). My audio quest began when I learned electronics in the Navy and repaired radars. I bought a Dynakit amp and pre-amp and built them when I got out of the Navy. I bought my first good speakers (AR-3a) soon after. Many sets of speakers, amps, receivers, tv's, etc. later, I now own SVS with the same sub as you. Hope we can help with any questions and we welcome your input. Dennis

[drdoan]

P.S. Don't be alarmed if whales and elephants show up in your yard after a good night of loud movies! Dennis

[allredp]

Hey Dennis,

Thanks for the reply--its great to have a fellow theologian among the audiophiles!

Whales and elephants (or more likely Oliphants--ROTK EE DTS ES) sound great--literally. What a fun hobby this is.

My kids are getting a taste of it too. My 15 yr. old son helped me with the crawl-test for placing the +/2. He feels some ownership now.

I look forward to the association and to getting the most out of the equipment!

-- Phil

[Prof.]

Hi Phil and welcome...from one Prof. to another (well, not really )..
How about some pics. of your basement HT?

[basementjack]

Welcome to the shack!

[allredp]

ok, I think I've done this correctly.
See pics of my HT (sans projector/screen yet) attached to this post.
If I get this wrong, or it doesn't work, my apologies!
-- Phil
*the last pic of the unfinished crawlspace is just that--my crawlspace to the equipment room where I can stand up inside and work all the connections, etc. I was pleased that my wife suggested I use that under the stairs area for a flush cabinet for the gear...

[Prof.]

Very nice neat set up...But I have to say, with those front speakers, that wall is screaming out for a big screen front projection set up...
Is this something you plan on doing?

[allredp]

Hey Prof.,

Yes, I've pre-wired power and video cords into the ceiling between my ceiling-mounted surrounds and I have a screen (7') in an adjacent closet just waiting!!!

I'm holding out for the 2nd or 3rd generation of 1080p LCD projectors--probably not for a couple years, but I don't mind the wait. I routinely bring home projectors from the University to set up the kids for xbox system link parties, etc.

Ah, just another way to spend the $$, eh?!

[drdoan]

Even tho I have a rear projector (Optoma H31), I probably won't upgrade until LCD's/DLP's use either LED's or lasers for the light source. My present bulb has 3100 hours on it and will fail soon. I did manage to get almost 2 years of service on it and so far it is working fine. Let us see you new setup when you get it up. Thanks, Dennis

[allredp]

Hey Dennis,
I meant to write "LED" and instead wrote LCD...
I'm with you on waiting for the technology to catch up to our expectations.
How much is your replacement bulb for the Optima? Getting 3000+ hours sounds very good!
My brother-in-law just picked up the JVC 720p (the 3000 I think) for only $999 at BestBuy in NC--apparently an unadvertized sale. At that price it is tempting to just grab one of those and wait for the lasers or LEDs for sure.
The only trick is the extra grand! (not including the HD source)...
For now the 36" Sony is doing well, if not a little small--at least is it very clear and reasonably sharp on my wife's eyes compared to earlier generation projectors.
Enjoy the weekend,
Phil

[drdoan]

My bulb cost $300 with shipping, I orderded it online from Staples as that seemed to be about as good a deal as any. Your Sony should hold you for a while as they have great pictures. I am now trying to go thru the learning curve for my Direct TV HD DVR. Your brother got a great deal! Have fun. Dennis